Book Opinion: Ignite on Contact

Earlier this week, I read Ignite on Contact.  This was Book 2 of a series.  I had forgotten almost all of Book 1.  It was like a dream.  So, I refreshed my memory and then went onto this book.  I found it really cute.  The backstory is that a group of 3 homeless boys were found by a firefighter.  He raised them with his wife.  The 3 boys become the firefighter main characters of this series.  

This book centers around Rafe and Carmen.  Carmen lives next door and is an ER nurse.  She lives with her grandfather after her mother and grandmother pass away (separately and before the book takes place).  She is living with her grandfather after he had a stroke - again, before the book takes place.  She is not interested in a relationship after a sour divorce.  

Rafe lives next door with his two brothers and his older brother's girlfriend (see previous book).  He doesn't do relationships.  I got the impression he's sort of a serial monogamist with nothing lasting more than a handful of months.  He's the always-upfront, never-looking-for-something-serious type of guy but always shows a girl a good time.  

Anyway, the two are friendly and then more than friendly.  The book is a little predictable in that they get close and then get too into their own heads and then resolve it all at the end.  I don't think it was very heavy, but the characters are very likable including Carmen's grandfather and his love interest as well as Carmen's best friend and colleague (and other folks in the first responder world also were individuals showing the characters had friends and family and could cultivate relationships outside of their romance).  It was the perfect book for a busy week.

Books Read in May 2017

I'm almost up-to-date!

• The Enforcer by HelenKay Dimon (NOTE: This is part of the Games People Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Love Me Again by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Master of Solitude by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters/Dark Haven series. The order of which can be found here.)
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Good month of books!  To be honest, American Gods took up most of the month, but it was worth it.  Despite being a little heavy on the characters and page count, I liked how it ended.  The tv show is meandering even more, but I know it is going to be more than one season.  I hope it works out because I loved how it started.  I hope it keeps up momentum, but I also hope it gets out and gets to come to as awesome of a conclusion.

Movies & Books in January 2017

I've been lazy at keeping up with the blog.

Movies Watched in January 2017

• Finding Dory 
• Nancy Drew 
• The Spiderwick Chronicles 
• Just Add Magic
• Hidden Figures

Books Read in January 2017

• Who Do You Love by Christie Ridgway (This is part of the Rock Royalty series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Rules of Contact by Jaci Burton (This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here
• Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (This is part of the Heartbreaker Bay series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

I decided to start listing our Sunday Family Movies.  Every Sunday, we make pancakes and watch a movie as a family.  Most of the time, Little Miss chooses, but we sometimes take turns.  I saw Hidden Figures in the theater with Mom and Sister which was fun.  

The books were all pretty solid, fast reads.  Three romance and one memoir - all enjoyable.

Books Read in April 2016

• Yes, Please by Willow Summers (NOTE: This is part of a series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Now, Please by Willow Summers (NOTE: This is part of a series. The order of which can be found here.)
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony DoerrLean
• Because of Miss Bridgertona by Julia Quinn  (NOTE:  This is part of the Rokesby series, but this is the first book and there is no news or information on the website yet.)
• Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Cedar Ridge series, the order of which can be found here.)
• More, Please by Willow Summers (NOTE: This is part of a series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Make Me Stay by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series, the order of which can be found here.)
• All Wound Up by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Play by Play series, the order of which can be found here.)

I really enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See.  I got to hear the author speak last month, and that was highly enjoyable.  He's such a good speaker, one of the few authors who was just so vibrant yet spent very little time talking about himself or his book(s).  He was generous with Q&A and so very smart and intelligent without making you feel stupid because you weren't as smart as he was.

I enjoyed the always-enjoyable Jill Shalvis and Julia Quinn.  Plus, I found a whole cache of Jaci Burton books.  I read these two plus a third in May and still have a novella before I'm all caught up.  I'm reading the novella out of order, but I do love making progress on books hanging out in my e-reader.  Decent month even if I had more I wanted to get to.

Books Read in April 2015

1. Still the One by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Animal Magnetism series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Love After All by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4. Hard Knocks by Lori Foster (NOTE: This is part of the Ultimate series. The order of which can be found here.)

In preparation to the sequel of To Kill a Mockingbird, I did a reread. I really enjoyed it this time around. I'm curious to see what the sequel will hold this summer. The others were romances to help come down from The Nightingale and balanced out To Kill a Mockingbird.

Books Read in February 2015

1. Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of the Girls' Night Out series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Quarterback Draw by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is part of the In Death series. The order of which can be found here.)

It wasn't a big month for me. I needed light after Outlander last month, and I continued on that streak and read all quick, fun romances. We all got a touch of a cold so there was more exhaustion than reading though.

Books Read in Fall 2014

November

1. Blood Magick by Nora Roberts (NOTE: This is part of The Cousins O'Dwyer series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman (NOTE: The other related book/sequel is Where She Went.)
3. Show Me, Baby by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Masters of the Shadowland series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Unbridled by Beth Williamson
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
7. Take Me to Paradise by Olivia Cunning (NOTE: This is part of the Sinners on Tour series. The order of which can be found here, but it has not been updated to include the latest novella.)
8. Holiday on Ice by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here.)

December

1. Yours for Christmas by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Lucky Harbor series - the last one! The order of which can be found here.)
3. Covering Kendall by Julie Brannaugh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

It looks more impressive than the list should be.  Many were novellas, just quick little fun romance short stories.  I did have some quality books in there - both romance and mainstream fiction.  It was a good run, and I have no complaints.

Books Read in October 2014

1. He's So Fine by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of Lucky Harbor series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is part of the Hurley Boys series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Hope Burns by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Looking for Trouble by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of the Jackson Girls' Night Out. The order of which can be found here.)
5. One in a Million by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of Lucky Harbor series. The order of which can be found here.)

It looks more impressive than the list should be.  Many were novellas, just quick little fun romance short stories.  I did have some quality books in there - both romance and mainstream fiction.  It was a good run, and I have no complaints.

Books Read in July 2014

1. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell 
2. Cowboy Take Me Away by Lorelai James  (NOTE: This is part of her Rough Rider series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. Then Came You by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Animal Magnetism series. The related books can be found here.)
4. Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Play by Play series. The order in which to read the books can be found here.)

Decent month full of quick reads.  I'm enjoying my romance run.  All of the books were solid with great stories and characters.

Books Read in May 2014

1. Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton  (NOTE: This is part of her Hope series.  The order of which can be found here.)
2. Edge of the Enforcer by Cherise Sinclair  (NOTE: This is part of her Doms of Dark Haven and Mountain Masters series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. It Happened One Wedding by Julie James (NOTE: This is part of the FBI/U.S. Attorney series. The related books can be found here.)
4. Catching Cameron by Julie Brannagh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order in which to read the books can be found here in the Novels tab.)

Decent month full of quick reads.  I'm enjoying my romance run.  All of the books were solid with great stories and characters.  June is not looking as promising so far though.

Books Read in April 2014

1. Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts (NOTE: This is part of her Cousins O'Dwyer series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Taking Shots by Toni Aleo (NOTE: This is part of her Assassins series. The order of which can be found here in the Books tab.)
3. Hope Flames by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series. The order of which can be found here.)

Decent month full of quick reads. I didn't know how much I'd be able to read when the baby was born so I tried to pick some quick ones. It turns out, I'm able to read at only a slightly slower pace now that the baby is here. Either way, I'm back on the romance genre bandwagon which is nice. I have a few mainstream fiction books that I want to read, but it takes more brain power than I currently possess so I'm putting them on the back burner.

Books Read in December 2013

1. We Are Water by Wally Lamb
2. Holiday Games by Jaci Burton  (NOTE:  This is part of the Play By Play series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth  (NOTE:  This is part of the Divergent series.  The order of which can be found here.)
4. A Christmas to Remember by a handful of authors - Jill Shalvis (a short story part of the Lucky Harbor series), Kristen Ashley (a short story part of the Chaos series), Hope Ramsey (a short story part of the Last Chance series), Molly Cannon (a short story part of the Everson Texas series and Marilyn Pappano (a short story part of the Tallgrass series.
5. Holiday Kisses by a handful of authors - Jaci Burton (a short story part of the Kent Brothers series), Shannon Stacey, Helen Kay Dimon (a short story part of the Holloway series and Alison Kent
6. Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fools Gold series. The order to read the books can be found here.)

This month looks grander than it was.  The first book was for book club and took me the majority of the month (and some of November) to read.  The others were almost all Christmas novellas plus Divergent which continues my Young Adult trend.  I can't help it.  There is a lot of good, quality Young Adult novels out there.  For once, I read all of my Christmas books during the holiday season.  I rarely do that, but I had more than usual this year so figured it would help me end up in the Christmas frame of mind.  Plus, all the happy was a nice follow-up to the book club book which was a little heavy to say the least.

Books Read in July 2013

1. Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis (NOTE:  This is part of the Lucky Harbor Series. You can find the order in which to read it here.)
2. Can't Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards  (NOTE:  This is part of the Recipe for Love series. The order of which can be found here.
3. Doms of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair, Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride. (NOTE:  This is part of the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series - the order of which can be found here, the Hawkeye series - the order of which can be found here, and the Truckee Wolves series - the order of which can be found here.)
4. Doms of Dark Haven 2: Western Night by Cherise Sinclair, Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride. (NOTE:  This is part of the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series - the order of which can be found here, the Hawkeye series - the order of which can be found here, and the Truckee Wolves series - the order of which can be found here.)
5. Hawkeye One: Danger Zone by Sierra Cartwright. (NOTE: This book is part of the Hawkeye series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. Hawkeye Two: Bend Me Over by Sierra Cartwright. (NOTE: This book is part of the Hawkeye series. The order of which can be found here.)
7. Book Three: Make Me by Sierra Cartwright. (NOTE: This book is part of the Hawkeye series. The order of which can be found here.)
8. Hot Summer Nights by Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy, and Jessica Clare. (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series - the order of which can be found here and the Serendipity series - the order of which can be found here.
9. Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson  (NOTE:  This is part of the Enchanted, Inc. series. The order of which can be found here.)
10. Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson  (NOTE:  This is part of the Enchanted, Inc. series. The order of which can be found here.)
11. Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson  (NOTE:  This is part of the Enchanted, Inc. series. The order of which can be found here.)

The Jill Shalvis one was a forgotten novella.  I caught up on that while waiting for her next release.  The rest were mostly quick erotica reads before a friend recommended the Enchanted, Inc. series which I've completely flew through.  I'm currently reading the fourth book and don't know what I'll do when I catch up!

Books Read in June 2013

1. Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery  (NOTE:  This is part of the Fool's Gold Series. You can find the order in which to read it here.)
2. Lush by Lauren Dane  (NOTE:  This is part of the Delicious series.  The order of which can be found here. However, this series is very close to the Brown series and many characters appear. You can find the order to that series here.)
3. It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis (NOTE:  This is part of the Lucky Harbor series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. One Ssweet Ride by Jaci Burton. (NOTE: This book is part of the Play by Play series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
5. The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley  (NOTE:  This is part of the Mackenzie Family series.  The order of which can be found here.)
6. Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery  (NOTE:  This is part of the Fool's Gold series.  The order of which can be found here.)
7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin  (NOTE:  This is part of the A Song of Ice and Fire series.  The order of which can be found here.)

Big month and all spread out. Lots of fun little romances. Then, I finally finished A Game of Thrones. I've read the book on and off for years. Literally years. I finally finished it. I did buy the second book, and hopefully, it won't take me years to read that one.

Books Read in March 2013

1. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
2. Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is part of the In Death series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Cherished by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane (NOTE: The Lauren Dane short story is part of the Delicious series, a spin-off of the Brown Siblings series. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Tart by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is part of the Delicious series, a spin-off of the Brown Siblings series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of the Jackson Hole series. The order of which can be found here.)

I read nothing in February. It was sad. Then, I kicked it into high gear and finished Gillian Flynn for book club. It was her debut novel and showed, but it was a decent book. I liked Gone Girl better. The others were all solid books. For some reason, I always savor Victoria Dahl and then read like 4 in a row and then wonder why I took so long to read them. I hope to keep it up this month, but I seem to be reading a lot of books simultaneously which I rarely do. So, we'll see how many I finish and how many I just keep partially read.

Books Read in September 2012

1. Changing the Game by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Taking a Shot by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Playing to Win by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Laid Bare by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the first book of the Brown siblings about the Brown siblings and their friends. The order of which can be found here.)


Not a lot of books this month. At the end of the month, I started a book that took me a very long time to get through. You’ll see that one listed in the next post. I loved it, but I got busy and the book was really good so it was slow-going for me.

Books Read in August 2012

1. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool’s Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
   
2. Hard to Resist by Janelle Denison
3. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
4. Convincing Quinn and Breaking Beau by Chloe Cole
5. Kissin’ Tell by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of a series. You can find more information and order in which to read here.)
6. The Dom’s Dungeon, Master of the Abyss and Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: Master of the Lion is the sequel to Master of the Mountain which I read but do not have previously listed. The others are either stand alone or the first in a series.)
7. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn (NOTE: This book is the sequel of sorts to The Lost Duke of Wyndham though the books take place simultaneously. After reading this one, I went back and skimmed the other.)
8. Unleashed by Cherrie Lynn (NOTE: This is the first book before Rock Me which I read previously. I think the second book is much stronger, but I hate to leave a series unfinished.)
9. Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child
10. The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)


Lots of books this month. It was a lot of fluff though I started some mainstream fiction books. I was on vacation so the quick reads were perfect. It’s hard to concentrate on bestsellers for me with waves and sun. You’ll probably see those titles later in the year. I’ve been reading some great books, just waiting for time to really sink my teeth into them.